During the COVID pandemic, many people metaphorically referenced the butterfly's lifecycle to describe their experience during the pandemic. I am one of them. It was a time where people sought to realign with their authentic selves. There are endless approaches and healing modalities to support one through this transition. The healing I personally found most relatable and relevant was the Shamanic practice of dismemberment used by the indigenous over the millennia - more specifically, the cocoon process encompassing the different phases of a butterfly's life.
While it's imperative to have the support and guidance of a Shamanic Practitioner to experience a dismemberment, this expanded view may help you draw your own correlations as you transition out of this pandemic.
Profound Teacher
For thousands of years, Shamanic healings relied on transformational practices to cleanse, heal, and remake beings into healthier forms. Cocooning is an example of these powerful transformational practices. The four different phases of a butterfly's life - egg, larva, chrysalis, and adult - result in different shapes and lifestyles through each stage, making this insect a profound teacher. The butterfly's lifecycle teaches about the power of transformation.
Opportunity to Change
Much of an insect's life is spent in the larva or caterpillar phase. The caterpillar's life is of constant labor, head down and focusing on staying safe and eating, with barely a glance upwards to the bigger picture. If the caterpillar manages to survive this period, then it gets the chance to transform. When the caterpillar enters the cocoon stage of life, virtually the entire body disintegrates into a few component parts that eventually emerge after complete transformation. Finally, the adult butterfly finds freedom and can take flight, leaving its earthbound existence.
You may notice the beautiful parallel here. The larva phase is likely how you lived before the pandemic - in constant labor of work, parenting, managing busy calendars, schlepping kids to/from extracurricular activities, etc. You lived head down and met one obligation after another - without a glance upwards to the bigger picture. And like the caterpillar, you might've gotten stuck in that constant labor and experienced high energy drain, burnout, and missed the chance to transform. Today, this might look like those waiting for things to return to 'normal' and remain head down, focused on staying safe. Those people might not realize the magnitude and significance of what's happening around them and do not enter the cocoon - at least not right now. Did they miss the opportunity to change?
Go Inward to Cocoon
Others, including perhaps you, knew or sensed this time was coming and embraced the change by going inward to cocoon themselves and do the work, receive healings, and adapt to the constant change experienced and continuing to surface one year later. Now you might've taken on a new form and found freedom by taking flight and leaving your old existence behind.
This real-life example helps bring life to the transformation. During the midst of the pandemic, a friend - who I'll name Lindsey to protect her identity, explained that after years of exhaustion in working through an ongoing rocky relationship with her business partner, Lindsey finally decided to give notice - without another job lined up. She went internal and sat in the soupy mess of the relationship. Lindsey looked at her career, personal needs, desire to grow, and her wish to impact in a more meaningful way. She consulted a few confidants for advice and weighed her options. Lindsey realized her inner needs far outweighed the endurance needed to manage the daily stresses of the relationship with her business partner - despite loving her work. When Lindsey came out of her 'cocoon', she had her decision. She delivered her notice. Long story short, Lindsey's business partner countered with an offer that put Lindsey at the helm and empowered her to run the business while her business partner stepped away from day-to-day affairs.
Find Freedom
Like an adult butterfly finding freedom and taking flight, leaving behind its earthbound existence - I share a personal story. My professional career has been centered on sparking meaningful outcomes for business leaders in corporate America through project leadership and management. This work allows me to leverage my natural tendencies to organize, plan and lead diverse teams towards a final goal. This work is rewarding, valued and for a long time was my earthbound existence.
In parallel, over the last 12+ years, I've also been on a spiritual journey that has brought tremendous clarity, healing, and empowerment to be my authentic self. I unearthed a deep longing to be in service in another way - through depth hypnosis therapy, applied shamanic practices, intuitive work, and other healing modalities. Yet, I grappled with what that really means and how that co-exists with my corporate consulting.
When the COVID pandemic hit, I went inward. I swirled around in the bliss of how simple my life became by unraveling commitments, slowing my roll, and getting even more comfortable in my skin - as a business consultant *and* practitioner. I reveled at the messages and insights I receive from my spirit guides and teachers. I felt those connections deepen and further integrate at the physical and non-physical levels. It was like a re-remembering who I really was and accessed the courage to come out of this cocoon finding freedom and taking flight as a morphed, complete person - where I showed up as my authentic self, regardless of how I was in service. I felt more at peace - like I had fully arrived.
While the global pandemic was indeed terrifying and more devastating than anyone could've forecasted, it also held space for people like you to re-evaluate what's important in your life and morph into whatever form you need to find freedom. The native dismemberment process relied on thousands of years ago is still relevant and applicable today. Suppose you're ready to dissolve your limiting beliefs, doubts, fears, and expectations and re-assemble into your authentic self as a more complete being. If that rings home for you, consider depth hypnosis and shamanic counseling with SparkPath Healing to help guide you to find yourself and spark your path.
